1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to detection of battery protection circuits in an electronic device. More specifically it is directed towards outputting a smooth battery voltage to a load during the process of charging an electronic device, including mobile devices.
2. Related Art
The current battery charging technology does not detect the level of charge already present in a battery, before the charging process begins. Thus, due to an unknown level difference between the actual battery voltage and the assumed battery voltage level which is initially supplied to the battery, there is often a high probability of the battery output voltage suffering a discontinuity. This can result in improper functioning of the load device. For example, in case of a cellular phone, such a voltage discontinuity at the output of a battery due to sudden surge in charge voltage can lead to dropped calls or a discontinuity in communication.
The conventional battery charger circuits also do not provide a solution for what is known in the art as deep discharge of the battery. Thus, there is need for the battery charger to have an inbuilt test strategy to determine the level of battery charge.
The battery chargers in the market cannot detect the protection circuits inside the battery very well. As a result, there is no decision possible with respect to whether a battery should be trickle charged or charged at full voltage. This may lead to overcharging or undercharging the battery. Both of these situations not only effect the battery life but may also be detrimental to the load life or the functions it performs.